Xingese Cinderella
by Miss Pavalova
Summary: Rewritten, September 2011. A simple, common adaptation of the famous fairytale though with a Xingese difference. LingFan.
1. Chapter 1

You may be wondering why this story had updated even though it was finished.

To explain it simply, this is a _rewritten _version of Xingese Cinderella.

In my opinion, a better version as well.

So I hope you all enjoy the new and improved version of Chapter 1 of Xingese Cinderella.

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**Xingese Cinderella**

**Prologue**

Once upon a time, there was a young girl, no older than the age of five. Her name was LanFan. When she was younger, her life was as perfect as perfect could get. She had a strong father and a caring mother who loved her dearly. She also had a doting grandfather, who was proud at her skills in Xingese martial arts, even though they were only beginner.

The picture of perfection had shattered when her mother had died. She, along with the rest of her family, was devastated by her death, but this wasn't all. Her father lonely and depressed married another woman, who had two daughters of her own. This woman was very beautiful, but that beauty was only skin deep. Inside she was a cold, heartless witch who only married him for money and power. Her daughters were no different from her either. They were cruel, conceited and downright hideous.

This tragedy though did not stop. After a time, her father and grandfather had to leave. They were hired to protect the Crown Prince of Xing, Ling Yao. They left her alone, with her cruel step-mother and step-sisters believing that she would be in _good_ hands. What they didn't know was what happened after they left. She was abused and turned into a slave. Soon enough, a young merchant working for the royalty of Amestris came by, hunting for young women to become servants to the king. For an ungenerous sum, she was sold to be a servant and work in Amestris. This is where we would start.

**..O..**

**13 Years Later**

As the sun rose up, a young woman woke up with a scream.

"What happened?" a feminine tone asked frantically. Aquamarine eyes fell upon her best friend, who was panting heavily as she had awoken from a horrible nightmare.

"I had that nightmare again." The girl replied curtly, though the best friend was unconvinced. The girl glared at her before going back to lie down on what she called a bed. She placed her hands over her eyes, trying to block out the painful memories of her nightmare.

"Don't worry." The blonde said reassuringly, standing up to sit by the frightened girl. The girl looked up from her position to see her best friend gaze upon her with sympathetic eyes. She managed to form a weak smile before sitting up. "It was just a dream. Now let's get out of bed. It's time to work." The girl nodded.

This girl had ebony black hair and a pretty face, though no-one really notices it. She was a servant, working in the main castle in Central in Amestris. She wasn't born in Amestris though. She was from another country, though she didn't live there anymore. Also, her nightmares were about her deceased mother. About the day she died. There was also the picture of her father and grandfather leaving her. Then the day that she was sold to a traveling merchant who bought kids to make them work as slaves. Life was cruel to her and she knew it. The girl, was LanFan.

Her days were quite hard and fell into routine. Every day, she worked in the castle, tidying rooms and serving dishes, though they never gave a scrap of anything to her for the hard work and effort she put in. She had never seen anyone royal, and they her. The servant's job was to do work without being noticed or seen. The only ones who could see and serve royalty and guests were the maids, which her friend Winry was. At least she got to eat, while all others starve. That was her life. And life was hard now as they were having a celebration. It was Prince Edward's eighteenth birthday, and many guests were coming to the festivities.

She hated the fact that no-one could appreciate the work she had done into at least helping set up for the arrogant prince's birthday. If she had a choice, she wouldn't even be setting up the party. Realistically, if she had a choice, she would be out of that palace in a flash, and instead, trying to find those last two family members she had cherished for her entire life.

After what seemed like forever, the day slowly edged into night, and she, along with Winry were finally free to go back to their quarters. Grumbling, she went back to sit down on her bed, waiting for the blonde-haired beauty who had come straight out of the shower.

"You know what I heard?" Winry asked, hoping to at least pique the interests of her friend. At the _enthusiastic_ response, Winry sighed wearily and sat down beside LanFan, nudging her and awaiting the reply.

"What did you hear?" LanFan mumbled out, purely out of sheer boredom, and to appease the anger of Winry. Winry beamed at her, and despite herself, LanFan couldn't help but smile back.

"I heard from one of the senior maids that everything will be even busier for you and me. Prince Edward is supposedly having guests from across the desert!" Her tone started to get giddy and LanFan couldn't resist, rolling her eyes at the girl's excitement. Winry noticed her actions and smacked her playfully on the arm before returning to her story. "All the way from Xing! Doesn't that sound amazing? I heard that it was the Chang's Princess Mei and the Crown Prince Yao."

At the mention of Prince Yao, LanFan perked up, showing immediate interest to the subject at hand. Winry noticed her actions, and waited subtly for LanFan to fall within her trap.

"Had you just mentioned a Prince Yao? As in, _the _Crown Prince Yao?" LanFan asked, her tone eager and excited, reflecting what Winry's had been just before. She was smiling like a child during Christmas, and Winry couldn't help but feel happy at the new change in attitude by her friend, even if she knew it wouldn't be a change forever.

"Now now there. Why are you suddenly so interested my dear friend?" Winry smirked as LanFan's demeanor changed from overly bubbly to viciously murderous. "You're not suddenly falling for some prince you haven't even met with now are you?"

LanFan snorted. "Of course not." She growled at Winry, who cautiously slid away from her infuriated friend. "Why the hell would you think I'd fall for someone I've never even met in my _life_? I am not, may I repeat, _not_ in love with some stupid, unknown prince from the other side of the desert. I do not think or feel like a love-struck bimbo."

"Okay then. You don't have to act all angry at me. It was only a guess, no need for you to overreact with the denial." LanFan ceased her anger and huffed in frustration, crossing her arms and looking pointedly away from her. Winry sighed dramatically at the childish behavior before continuing. "If you _aren't _in love with him, then why are you so excited for their arrival?"

LanFan took a deep breath and looked at her best friend. Her own exhausted ebony eyes meeting with anticipated blue orbs. "I just thought that, that maybe, my grandfather and father would be his escorts. When they left me, it was to protect this exact same prince. Now I'm just thinking that possibly, I could have the chance of finally meeting them after so long."

Winry's hand found its way to latch itself comfortingly on LanFan's shoulder. Her anticipated expression was now washed over into another sympathetic expression. "There could be a possibility. But maybe, something could've happened, like the same situation as my grandmother."

It was LanFan's turn to comfort her best friend. She knew that it was hard for Winry to bring up her grandmother, but just talking about her out of the blue must have been a tough choice. Winry looked up to see LanFan smiling warmly at her. Just seeing the smile on her face boosted her spirits. A pregnant pause followed soon after, but was broken when Winry stood up and walked across the room to settle within her own bed.

"You don't have to worry about it. I won't trouble you with it anymore." LanFan gazed at her friend, who gave her a final smile before rolling around, to what LanFan could guess was to sleep. She herself then turned around and tried to sleep, but her mad thoughts kept her tossing and turning the whole night. The ideas and possibilities the dealt with her family buzzed like bees within her head. Old memories kept resurfacing, and she had to control herself so that she wouldn't scream out from the frustration she felt.

Why was it that one statement had driven her so insane?


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, so here's the rewritten version of the second chapter of Xingese Cinderella. Enjoy~!

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The next day came with LanFan trying all she can to see her family, though her attempts had failed miserably. With new guests coming by the hour, she could barely catch a break. So all day, and well into the night, she was worked to the bone fixing rooms, cooking meals and cleaning the whole castle, with no luck as to where Prince Yao and his bodyguards were. As all servants went back to their quarters, so did a weary and disappointed LanFan, all her hopes and dreams shattered. As she got to her room, she found that it was empty, even though Winry should have been in there either waiting for her or sleeping. Though, she could have been stuck helping a noble or something, but LanFan had a better suspicion of where she was.

Winry was probably in the metal shop, secretly working on the automail that she's madly in love with. When Winry was doing that, LanFan didn't just stay in their room. To clear her frustrations out once in a while, LanFan would secretly sneak to the training grounds and remember what her grandfather had taught her, and it seems as if that night was another one.

**..O..**

Ling was thoroughly impressed by the accommodations he was in at that moment; a lavish room, with a big open balcony. And, he was able to call a maid to ask for food every ten minutes. It was a wonderful place, Amestris was. He was lucky enough to be invited to Ed's party, but that meant crossing what seemed like endless desert and travelling with his little sister Mei, who whined like a baby every other minute or so. But it seemed that a paradise struck him straight after that living hell hole and now, he was there. But he was immensely bored. An immature prince like him – yes, he can freely admit his immaturity - gets quite bored after doing nothing for what seemed like hours and hours. He was pretty sure that one of his bodyguards was asleep, and the other one fell asleep while doing guard duty so he could go grab some fresh air without getting caught.

He went to the balcony and looked out at the land in front of him. In Xing, you could barely see the night sky because of all the smoke and pollution in the air, but here, the night sky seemed so bright and vast, lit up by the tiny beacons of stars. While he admired the great sky, he heard noises coming from an area beneath the balcony. His curiosity piqued, he carefully peered over the ledge to look for what or who was making the sounds.

There, in the training grounds, he saw a girl – or a young woman - roughly his own age, practicing what looked like basic Xingese type martial arts on a training dummy. He found the sight rather odd though. He had never thought that there would be a girl from Xing in Amestris, rather, in the palace. He had only expected that the Xingese guests were his little sister and himself. In the short time span, he had found himself quite interested of the mystery girl, and had the sudden urge to quench his inquiring mind. He needed to get a closer look.

With the agility of a fox and balance he himself hadn't expected, he quietly climbed onto the balcony ledge and jumped, only to find himself landing safely on the tree branch he was aiming for. From his vantage point, he could see the girl clearer than he had before. A short mane of black whipped her face as she did spinning kicks, while chocolate-brown eyes glared determinedly at the dummy she had set sights upon. Because of her agility against her enemy, he could only catch glimpses, though from what he had seen, she had a perfect doll-like face, which he found not only lovely, but alluring.

What confused him the most was what he felt bubbling inside of him. All those emotions, what were they doing to him? He felt that he could just stay perched up in the branch and watch her for the rest of his life. As long as he could see her, he was content. What the hell was wrong with him? He was not turning into some _love-sick puppy_. He couldn't have been. They hadn't even met before in his life! He didn't even know her damn name!

As he was wrapped up and lost in his reverie, he hadn't notice the weak branch he was crouching on cracking under his weight. It only took a few moments, but then the branch snapped, leaving him to gravity, which sent him flying straight into the dusty earth beneath him. As he stood up and brushed all the dirt of his now messy attire, he heard the noises made by the girl stop, and footsteps echoing in his direction.

"Shit." He muttered, barely audible against all the other noises that added to the night. The girl's footsteps gradually grew louder, and he knew he was stuck there to face her wrath. Like a stinking mouse drawn to delectable cheese, he was caught in the trap.

"Who are you?" she asked, her tone questioning and demanding; though he couldn't help but hear the twinge of nervousness etched in her voice. He couldn't help but feel sympathetic for her, afraid of what or who might have been watching her train. Suffice to say, it was training done quite well.

He stayed awfully silent and stiff, hoping his erratic heartbeat wouldn't give him away. The girl came ever closer and from behind the shadows, he started to see a feminine figure appear. He muttered another string of Xingese curses as he quickly tried to think of a way to get the hell out of there.

"Stop hiding." She demanded, her tone gaining more courage than before. He could see the beginnings of her foot step out and then he knew what he had to do. "I know you're somewhere there."

Before she could take a step further, he mustered up all his agility and stealth and sprinted out of their as quickly and silently as he could. He ran back to the entrance of the palace, though when he reached it, he stayed outside for a moment, believing his exhausted pants would wake up everyone within the building. As he stayed there, he began to think of the girl again.

He knew that she would plague his thoughts for the rest of the time he was there, possibly even longer. She was gorgeous, strong, courageous, and she had a beautiful voice too. He wondered whether he would see her at Prince Edward's ball. Maybe they would get a chance to dance with each other. He just hoped that they would somehow – possibly – meet again.

Yes; he had definitely turned into some love-sick puppy.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi hi! Sorry for not posting in more than a month, but I was suffering major writer's block. Then, when I finally got the story, I couldn't get on the computer for ages**.

**Anyways, enough chit-chat. Let's get on with the story! Hope you like it! ^_^**

Disclaimer: Again, I do not own FMAB...

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**2 days later... (Ed's birthday)**

LanFan had given up all hope. For 2 days she's been trying to find her father and grandfather with no luck. As the date of Prince Edward's ball came closer, the less time she had for break. She's been ordered and ordered and ordered from early morning till late night. As of that day, she had finally given up on finding them, knowing that she will never ever escape the palace forever...

* * *

Ed was really nervous. At the ball, he was supposed to find his future bride, and queen to the whole country. It was a complete weight over his shoulders, and he knew that all the women at the ball would be seeking to be the woman of his dreams, but actually, he had already found her. He saw her walking behind one of those ladies that could have been his wife. She had blonde hair, blue eyes and a very beautiful face. He knew that she was one of those maid-servants as he seen her all throughout the palace a couple of times, but never seeing her face. When she noticed he was staring at her, she blushed, put her head down and took a step back. She seemed to be embarrassed that the prince (future king) was looking at her. That was yesterday, and today, he was staring at her from one of those stair banisters. He was just looking at her until he heard a very, VERY annoying voice.

"Hi Hi! And may I ask, what are you staring at?" Ling asked in his very childish voice.

"Nothing," Ed said quickly, snapping back to reality. "Nothing at all. Now get lost."

"Your words are very hurtful. That's not what you say to your friend, ney." He said sarcastically.

From another door Al popped up and said. "You made a friend brother. Good for you!"

"Shut up Al!" Ed cried.

"Anyways, what were you looking at?" Ling asked curiously.

"I wasn't looking at anything." Ed replied hastily.

"Let me guess." He said, leaning over the railing. "Is it that pretty blonde girl over there fixing the flowers?"

"No!" Ed said, trying to cover up the shock and disbelief from his correct guess.

"Hmm… By the way you answered that question; I'd have to say you were lying. And that you were absent-mindedly staring at her like some love-sick puppy" Ling stated before he walked off merrily in another direction.

"Damn you, you squinty-eyed bastard." Ed muttered before walking away himself.

* * *

"Why is he in my head? I mean, I've a girlish crush on him, but since yesterday, I haven't stopped thinking about him!" Winry cried.

"Who's the love-struck idiot now?" LanFan said smugly.

"Shut Up!" Winry screamed but then changing her tone of voice. "How about the search for your relatives?"

"It's no use." LanFan replied disappointedly. "It's pretty much impossible to find them; and I wouldn't dare go out after the whole incident two days ago."

"So what!" Winry cried in frustration. "It's your final chance to find them and get out of here. Don't give a damn about anyone who gets in your way. If I were you, I'd strike tonight, at Prince Edward's ball. If you are going to do that, I'll come too."

"How the hell can we do that?" LanFan snapped. "The ball is pretty much started and we have nothing. Nothing! And even if we do that, how are we going to be able to get in! It's pretty much going to be IMPOSSIBLE!"

"I think that I may be of assistance now." A mysterious voice said.

"Who's there?" LanFan asked as a dark-haired woman stepped out.

"I'm Lust, your homunculi sister, and I think that I can help you with those little problems that you have."

"How?" Winry asked curiously.

"I have powers okay." Lust replied flatly. "Anyways, I can help you both. I'll give you dresses that men will lust for."

"Okay…" LanFan said uncertainly.

"You first." Lust said, pointing to Winry. "I advise that both of you close your eyes, because it's gonna be a little bit bright in here."

LanFan did as she was told. She heard a snap of fingers and opened her eyes. What she saw was very much unexpected.

"Wow." she said in amazement and shock. Winry looked very… well… amazing. She was wearing a sleeveless baby blue ball gown (with matching shoes) that shined because of the glitter, long white gloves, a baby blue mask and her hair was down and wavy.

"Very nice." Lust said, admiring her work.

"You even remembered the mask!" Winry said happily. (It's because the ball is masquerade)

"LanFan next." she said, as LanFan and Winry switched places. "You guys better close your eyes again."

LanFan (again) did as she was told and closed her eyes. She heard a snap and an odd, but nice feeling sensation came over her body and she opened her eyes, shocked at what she saw. She looked… well… quite different. (But in a good way!)

"Oh my god…" was all she heard from Winry as she looked down to see her dress. A black sleeveless ball gown (again, with matching shoes), long black gloves, a black mask covered in black sequins and her hair was in a bun except for a few loose hairs framing her face.

"Now that both of you look fit for the party, I'm going to send you two to the outskirts of a nearby forest where there is a carriage waiting for you. It's going to take you directly here, so you both don't look suspicious. Just remember that this doesn't last forever, and that when it's midnight, the spell starts to wear off. Now close your eyes, and good luck."

LanFan heard another snap and felt that odd sensation come over her body again before suddenly, she heard silence and opened her eyes.

"Where are we?" she asked herself.

"You guys are in the outskirts of the Kanama Forest." she heard a voice reply.

"Who are you?" Winry asked, pointing to a strange scrawny looking man.

"I'm Yoki, your carriage driver. And I suggest that if you don't want to be late, get in!"

"Fine, fine…" Winry muttered as she and LanFan went in the carriage. They heard the crack of the whip and felt that they were moving.

After a couple of minutes riding in the carriage, Winry suddenly turned to LanFan, her face filled with worry.

"I just remembered something." she said.

"What is it?" LanFan asked.

"The ball, it has a guest register."

LanFan then suddenly realised what that meant. "You mean… we're not going to be able to get in?"

Winry nodded slowly.

"Don't worry!" LanFan said, trying to reassure her friend. "Lust might have thought of something. We'll be fine." She tried to keep a straight and confident face, but hope was soon starting to fade away inside her.

As they reached the palace, they stopped in front of the grand oak doors and stepped out of the carriage. They walked to the two guards who were holding a list.

"Names please." one of them said.

"Umm…" Winry moaned.

"If your names aren't on the list, you will not be able to get in. So please state your name."

LanFan thought this was it. There was absolutely no hope for them anymore. They managed to get so far, all for nothing. Her last chance and she blew it.

"There with me." a voice suddenly cried form behind them, and the girls turned to see two young men.

"Your name sir." the guard asked.

"The name's Greed." the taller one said, before winking at LanFan. She didn't know who these two mysterious men were. But it seemed as if they had just picked them up, and given them their second chance.

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**PLEASE REVIEW! Even if it's anonymous, I DON'T CARE! JUST REVIEW! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi Hi! Pav-chan here!**

**First note: Sorry for not updating sooner! I am really, terribly, awfully SORRY!**

**Now with that out of the way, I just wanna thank everyone who read this story! You don't know how much it means to me.**

**And thanks to everyone who reviewed or added this to any favorite or alert list. All of you are just the best.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own. All of you know.  
**

**Now I should stop rambling. The final chapter for Xingese Cinderella awaits.

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**"So wait." LanFan said, trying to understand. "Lust sent you two here to meet us, and didn't tell us about it!"

"Yeah…" Greed said as he looked through the large table of food. "She told us to follow a carriage and when we got here, you two came out and I knew what we have to do. We're here to see that your plans run fairly smoothly. That's all there is to it. Oh yeah, I should mention, we sort of disappear be 12 midnight. Whether it is by magic or if we find a girl and…"

"Oh yeah." LanFan said, ignoring the last part of Greed's speech. "I'm sorry if I'm rude or something but what's your name."

"I'm Envy. Greed and Lust's brother." He replied. (A/N: This is not Palm-tree Envy, but Hoenheim's son. I thought he would look sort of good with Winry)

"Ok. Now what are we here to do?" LanFan said.

"You're finding your dad and granddad. And I'm…" Winry replied but growing quieter near the end.

"And you're trying to get the guy of your dreams; simple." LanFan added.

"Yeah... It's simple that all these women here are trying to get the same guy. Too easy." She replied sarcastically.

"Maybe if you dance with him… Then you can steal him away." LanFan thought.

"That," Winry said smiling. "Is an utterly genius plan. Thanks LanFan! C'mon Envy."

"How about you then. What's your plan?" Greed asked.

"Me…" LanFan said, sounding quite unsure. "I have no idea…"

"How about…" Greed said, trying to think of a plan. "The same one as Winry. You get close to the prince then start asking him questions about your dad and granddad."

"That… is a great idea." LanFan replied. "Now c'mon, we need to get to the dance floor."

As she dragged Greed off with her, she was starting to feel more and more confident. And by the end of the night, all will be resolved.

* * *

"So…" Ling said. "Do you see any girls you might like?"

"No." Ed replied flatly.

"You know you do have to try…"

"I don't want to." Ed said, getting irritated.

"Just because the girl that you've fallen for isn't here, doesn't mean anything. You've got a duty to uphold. This means trying to find a girl, before midnight."

Ed didn't pay attention to the last bit that Ling had said, because on the dance floor there was a girl, that reminded him of the maid. Suddenly, all senses stopped, and his one desire was her.

"I'll be right back…" Ed said to Ling, as he started walking to the dance floor.

"It seems that he's found his girl." Ling said smiling. "Oh crap, I need to find mine!"

"Umm… May I?" Ed said to the man dancing with the girl. The man immediately stepped aside and gave Winry a wink before going off elsewhere.

"Umm…" said the utterly shocked Winry, seeming confused that the night's plans suddenly came to effect 20 minutes after discussing it.

"Can I have this dance?" Ed said, holding his hand out.

"Umm…" Winry replied, not knowing what to say.

"A simple yes may be the answer." He said, seeming to be able to read her so easily.

"Yes." She said quietly as he took his hand and went off to the middle of the dance floor. Suddenly, the whole plan was becoming way too easy. She had a hunch that something awful was going to happen later that night.

* * *

"Your Highness, why don't dance with me?"

"Or me."

"How about me your highness?"

That was all he heard after Ed left. Many different, uninteresting ladies trying to steal him away. It was quite boring. No woman was the fair bit interesting. That is until, after what felt like forever (which was actually just an hour), he found that girl, dancing with another man.

This girl… he couldn't quite put his finger on it, but she seemed familiar. She also seemed different to the other girls. I mean that she wasn't some dumb girl wanting to get a kiss from a prince charming, but the complete opposite. Quite a smart girl, doing this for a totally different reason. And that's what he liked. That's why, he moved to meet her, not laying eyes off her, and it seems that she noticed as well, because as he got closer, she turned around.

"May I have this dance?" he asked suavely, bowing and putting out his hand.

"Umm…" she said, glancing back at her partner who magically disappeared.

"You know, one yes would be fine." he said.

"Yes, your highness." she said before curtsying and graciously accepting his hand. They moved near the centre of the dance floor where they saw their old companions dancing together. The music changed and then they both started dancing. There was an awkward silence between them and Ling thought that he should break it.

"You're not from Amestris, aren't you…" he said.

"No I'm not Your Highness." She politely replied.

"Let me guess… Are you from Xing?" he asked.

"Correct Your Highness."

"You know you can call me Ling right?"

"It's quite rude to do so."

"I don't want to order you…" he said cheekily.

"Alright… Fine Yo- I mean, Ling." She said as he grinned.

"I think it's fair that if I ask you a question. You can ask me one. Don't you think?" He said.

"It's your choice Ling." She replied back.

"Then go ask me a question." He said.

"Hmm… Other than Prince Edward's party, do you have any other reason to be here?" she asked.

"You know that's a pretty smart question." He said.

"Don't get off topic and just answer the question." She stated.

"Alright! I am also here in Amestris to find a bride. My father ordered me to. He said that I couldn't succeed the throne if I didn't marry someone soon…" he replied.

"Wow… Okay, your turn." She said.

"Alright… Do you like me?" he asked.

"What do you mean? As in like as a friend, or like as in, _like_?" she asked.

"You choose." He said.

"I do like you as a friend, even though we just met. And the other one…" she said, thinking about what she would say. "Maybe."

"Maybe you do like me or maybe you don't?" he asked eagerly.

"It's you choice." She said, smiling.

They played on with this game until such time that they got tired of dancing and moved outside to the balcony.

"You know what?" he said, looking out to the land.

"Yes Ling." She replied.

"You never get a view like this in Xing. I live in the city, where it's busy all the time. But here in the country-side, you get to see so much more." He said, admiring the view.

"I see." She said. She looked at the time, 11:50. She had spent the whole night with the prince and enjoyed too much of it to even ask him a simple question. She had to do it, before the clock stroke midnight.

"Hey, you know what else?" he said.

"What else Ling?"

"I haven't even asked for your name! Isn't that quite stupid?" he said, turning to face her.

"Yes, quite stupid…" she said, suddenly getting nervous.

"So I'll be polite when asking. May I know what your name is?" he asked her.

"Umm… My name is…" she started, but suddenly they heard big bells ringing and she checked the time. "Midnight!" she said before running off.

* * *

"Wait. Your name is midnight." He said, trying to understand until he realized that she was gone. "Hey! Wait!"

"Winry!" LanFan cried, trying to find her friend as the spell started to wear off.

"LanFan!" she heard someone cry, as she turned and saw Winry rushing towards her.

"We have to go; now." She explained before they ran towards the doors.

"GUARDS!" They heard someone cry. "Catch those girls!"

They heard footsteps rushing behind them and they knew they had to run faster. They kicked their shoes off and tore their dresses at the bottom. The magic was working, seeing as their clothes were turning into rags, but they didn't care. All they wanted was escape.

"Fu! Catch those girls!" LanFan heard Ling cry, but she didn't care. Soon, they were surrounded by the prince's guards and a man dressed and full black with a mask on.

"Winry," LanFan whispered. "I'll buy you some time while you escape."

"No way. I'm not leaving without you." She whispered back.

"You have to. The spell's running out and we don't need both of our covers blown."

"You two! Stop whispering!" she heard Prince Edward cry.

"Go-" LanFan said, but suddenly, a huge wave of light surrounded them. LanFan saw herself being transformed back to her old state.

"What's happening?" Ling cried before suddenly, it all stopped. Everyone who saw them gasped in shock and horror. They saw two girls, dressed in palace working clothes, who were trying to escape.

"Wait!" Ed said, grabbing on to Winry's arm. "You're the girl I saw with the lady."

"And you're the girl I saw practicing Xingese martial arts in the training grounds." Ling said, facing LanFan.

"You mean you're the guy who freaked me out that night!" she replied.

"You're name's LanFan?" he asked as she nodded.

"LanFan?" they heard another voice ask as they stared at the Xing bodyguard. "Your name, is LanFan?"

"Umm… yes…" she replied as he took his mask off. When she saw who it was, a wave of happiness overcame her and she rushed over to hug him.

"Grandfather!" she said as she did.

"Wait…" Ling said, trying to understand what was happening. "Fu's granddaughter is the girl that I saw at the training grounds and was with tonight. What I'm wondering, is why the heck you're here instead of Xing?"

"My stepmother gave me away to a slave trader when I was five. I was sold here and worked ever since."

"So that's where that evil woman took you." Fu muttered in disgust.

"Yes. And tonight, I was here to find my grandfather. Which I have done! But where is father?" she asked.

Fu bowed his head down in sadness. "Your father, he-"

"Oh." She said, her voice filled with disappointment. "He's… gone…"

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't protect him." He said.

"It's alright grandfather. I am at least happy to see you once again." She said, trying to smile even with the pain that was practically killing her inside.

"So wait. You're name is Winry?" Ed said.

"Yeah. Why?" she asked.

"I seem to remember a girl named Winry…" he said, trying to remember his old memories.

"Well that is easy to explain…" Hoenheim said, suddenly popping up.

"Oh my gosh! Your Highness!" Winry cried, suddenly curtsying for him.

"It's alright Winry." He said, trying to calm her down. "Ed, you know her because she's Pinako's granddaughter."

"Who?" he asked.

"The woman blacksmith who always gave you a beating." He explained.

"Oh. You mean that old hag…" he muttered.

"Don't insult my grandmother!" Winry cried, suddenly hitting him with a wrench that appeared from thin air.

"OWW! That hurt Winry!" he said.

"That's what you get. Even if you are a prince." She huffed.

"So I used to play with you when I was younger." He said.

"I guess so." She replied.

"Alright. Would you like to not be a maid anymore?" he asked.

"Where is this conversation leading to?" she asked back.

"Just wondering if you want to live in the palace. You wouldn't have to work anymore." He explained.

"Umm…" she said, turning to LanFan. "What about it?"

"It's your choice." She said. "Do it. I'll be fine."

"Okay. I accept your offer Ed." She replied happily.

"How about you LanFan? What are you going to do now?" Ling asked.

"I'm seriously not sure anymore…" she said, wondering what she was actually going to do with her life.

"Young Master, May I have a say in this?" Fu asked.

"Sure thing old man. What'cha wanna say?"

"I propose, that my granddaughter come back with us to Xing." He said.

"But what am I gonna do there! I can't live in the emperor's palace for free!" she cried.

"I think we can work something out with that." Ling said with a grin as he took Fu with him for a small discussion.

* * *

**1 Year Later**

"I'm so excited!" Winry cried as they arrived at the Imperial Palace. It's been a year since she's seen her best friend and she couldn't have been happier. Especially for what special thing was about to happen soon. She was practically bursting with excitement.

"Yeah." Ed said, seeming not to be as enthusiastic as her.

"Ed! C'mon! Be happy! This is my best friend we're talking about!" she said, hitting him with a wrench.

"Alright! I'm happy! Yeesh! You are so pushy!" Ed cried.

"Then you shouldn't have proposed to me then right?" she replied smartly.

"Yeah. I'm still regretting it now." He muttered jokingly, earning him a very painful wrench beating.

"Hey LanFan. It seems that our two special guests have arrived at last." A man muttered to the woman who he was linking arms with. Winry stopped killing Ed and they both turned to see…

"LanFan!" Winry cried, tackling her best friend.

"Long time no see, future Queen of Amestris." LanFan said.

"You too, Miss future Empress of Xing." She retorted.

"You guys know that's really not something to brag right." Ling said.

"Yeah, you can talk Mr. Emperor of Xing." Ed said smugly.

"Yeah. You can as well, Mr. _future_ King of Amestris." Ling retorted, adding emphasis on 'future'.

"Who cares?" Winry replied. "Anyways, I think we're supposed to be getting you ready. I think being maid of honour means that I have a lot of preparing to do."

"Help me!" LanFan mouthed to Ling as she was being dragged off by Winry.

"No way." He mouthed back as he grinned widely and she scowled and turned away.

"You know what. This is just like this old story that my mother read to me. But just, well… a little bit more whacked-out." Ed said, still looking at the direction the girls went.

"What story?" Ling asked.

"Well… if I can vaguely recall it… It's called Cinderella…"

* * *

**I can't believe it's really over... *sniffle***

**I really hope I did the story justice. I know I might've sorta rushed it... But I do hope you all liked it.**

**And since it's the final chapter, I want all of you to review! It would mean the world to know what you thought!**

**And yet again, I'd like to thank everyone who read this story! All of you readers are just awesome! **

**THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!  
**


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